Local athletes lead basketball camp this summer

Local athletes lead basketball camp

Aspiring girl basketball players from throughout San Luis Obispo County are invited to participate in a one-of-a-kind skills camp led by two local basketball luminaries. The camp will include hands-on help from 12 coaches from the ranks of Paso Robles High School’s varsity girls basketball team as well as the school’s coaching staff.

The Paso Robles High School Individual Skill Camp will be held on June 3 through June 6 from 9 a.m. to Noon, for a total of 12 hours of personal instruction. It is open to 4th through 9th graders of all skill levels. The cost is just $75 for girls who register before May 20 (and $90 thereafter). Each girl will receive a complimentary camp t-shirt. Space is limited. To register a child, download the registration form at www.pasogirlsbasketball.wordpress.com or contact the organizers at (805) 440-1660 or heidisill@hotmail.com.

The camp will be led by Heidi Wittstrom Sill, Paso Robles High School’s varsity coach and a former Division 1 basketball team captain with Cal Poly. She is also a former three-year All-League player for Paso Robles High School. She will be joined by Scott Larson, a local legend for his service as the school’s boys’ basketball coach for 32 years. Larson is known as a “shooting guru” with a focus on fundamentals, repetition and execution.

“With the help of our varsity basketball players, we are going to have one instructor for every five or six girls,” Wittstrom Sill said. “The high level of personal hands-on instruction is what makes this camp different. We will emphasize the fun of the game, but every girl will also walk away with newfound skills and confidence.”

The camp will consist of a combination of small station drills, full court games, team drills and group lectures designed to advance player knowledge of the game. All net proceeds will benefit the Paso Robles High School Girls Basketball program. In the wake of recent cutbacks, 60 percent of the program’s operating budget must be generated through fundraising.

“This camp is a win-win for all involved,” Wittstrom Sill said. “The young girls will learn an amazing array of basketball skills; our student athlete instructors will develop their own instructional skills and teaching confidence; and our program will generate some much-needed funds. We invite girl basketball players of all skill levels to come out and join the fun.”